The Pact
by littleoblivion
Summary: The night of their high school graduation, two best friends made a promise, if they were both still single by the time they were thirty, they would get married. Twelve years later, Dr. Spencer Reid comes back into Jennifer Jareau's life to remind her of the fact. But it was just a silly kid's pact, it doesn't mean anything right?
1. Chapter 1

**(Hey everyone! Here's a new story. It's going to be JJ/Spence centric, no Henry storyline. I'm planning for it to be more romantic and humorous than Nothing Left and Home, and I hope you enjoy! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks!)**

" _Let me not to the marriage of true minds_

 _Admit impediments. Love is not love_

 _Which alters when it alteration finds,_

 _Or bends with the remover to remove._

 _O no! it is an ever-fixed mark_

 _That looks on tempests and is never shaken;_

 _It is the star to every wand'ring bark,_

 _Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken._

 _Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks_

 _Within his bending sickle's compass come;_

 _Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,_

 _But bears it out even to the edge of doom._

 _If this be error and upon me prov'd,_

 _I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd."_

 _William Shakespeare, Sonnet_

Pennsylvania, 2004

The soft crash of the waves against the sand filled the darkness. The light from the bonfire gave off giant shadows that danced across the trees, giving the entire night a wild and magical air. I sat huddled in a lawn chair, arms clutching my sweater close to me as protection from the chill of the wind. As May had progressed, the days had gotten longer and warmer, but the nights were still cool, especially this close to the lake.

Jason Green had brought his stereo and was blasting an Usher CD. My classmates were all tipsily dancing around the bonfire, plastic cups and bottles loosely clasped in their hands. I knew it probably wasn't smart to be drinking this close to both an open flame and a giant body of water, but we were seniors! Eighteen long years in our tiny Pennsylvania town and we were finally graduated and free to live our own lives. We were straddling the line between the life we had been born into- our working class upbringings, everyone attending the same elementary school and playing in the same junior sports leagues, dutifully shouldering the expectations of our parents., and the life we would go out and build. The only thing that stood between me and the promise of the future at the University of Connecticut, where I had earned a spot on the women's soccer team, was a measly few months working in the family hardware store. My stomach fluttered with butterflies at the thought. All the hours training and working my ass off had paid off. I was getting out of this stupid town.

I took a drink from my own cup and grimaced slightly at the taste of warm cheap beer. I didn't drink much; I had always gone with my friends to the Friday night, post-football game parties, but the knowledge that I had to be up at seven am to go running with my dad had made me content to serve as the driver. But this was a special occasion so I had accepted the drink pressed into my hand by classmates. I tipped it back and finished it off, throwing it in the metal barrel someone had thankfully had the sense to drag close to our campsite. I turned around to find Sean Abernathy looming over me.

"Jenny!" He bellowed.

I smiled and eyed him warily. "Hey Sean."

"Why aren't you drinking? You never drink." His slurred words were once again way too loud, even for my tipsy state.

"I am, I just finished my drink." I explained.

"Well have more!" He shoved a smirinoff into my hand and lumbered off toward where the stereo system was set up. I looked down at the drink in my hand and shrugged. _Why not?_ I unscrewed the cap and took a sip. The fizziness and sugary rush assaulted my tongue but it was nice after the awful metallic beer.

I stayed standing off to the side, observing my classmates. We existed in the sort of camaraderie that can only come from knowing each other from preschool. In a town this small, everyone knew everyone, the good, the bad, the ugly. Which meant I didn't feel bad thinking that for the most part, they were done. Some would go on to study at local universities or community college, but most, like Sean, would stay here. They would go to work in the factories and on the surrounding farms and marry way too young. They would have children shortly after, dooming themselves to never do anything great. Not that I was judging them. Hell, that's what my parents had done. High school sweethearts, he proposed the night my mom graduated from high school. He had graduated a few years earlier and they were married late that summer. He worked at my Papa's hardware store, taking it over once he passed away. Mom worked as the high school receptionist for a few years before getting pregnant with my sister Rosalind. 26 years later they were still married, which had to speak for something.

But that's not what I wanted. I wanted to go out and explore. I wanted to see what the world was really like outside of rural Pennsylvania, and I was determined to get out no matter what took. Just like Spence.

Remembering my best friend I glace around, trying to find him among the dancing teens. Not that Spence was the drink and dance type. He was the farthest thing from it. But he had promised that he would come and I couldn't see him. I was beginning to feel a little anxious for his well being when I stumbled to the edge of the clearing and saw a figure sitting on a log further down the beach. As I walked closer I found myself missing the intense heat of the fire. The wind whipped my long blonde hair into my face and I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in an attempt to stay warm.

"Whatchya thinking about, boy genius?" I called out as I came closer.

He glanced over his shoulder, pushing his glasses further up his nose.. "I was thinking about how foolish it is to place this many intoxicated teenagers in such close proximity to not one but two dangerous catalysts."

I couldn't help but laugh as I took a seat next to him on the log. "Me too. Maybe not in such fancy terms, but it's definitely a stupid idea." I took a deep breath of the fresh lakeside air and pushed my hair away from my face.

"You've been drinking," he observed.

"Yeah." We regarded each other in silence for a second. "You've seen me drink before."

"Not this much."

I shrugged. "Well, for once in my life, I don't have to train tomorrow so I figured I might as well live it up a bit."

He nodded. "Where's Lindsey?"

I sighed deeply. "Who knows. Probably plastered, off somewhere professing her love to a tree trunk who she thinks is Jesse Travis." My best girlfriend had been infatuated with the football star since we were kids. He had never returned the feelings so she had responded by always being the drunk, crying girl at parties, making out with anyone she could get her hands on.

"Shouldn't you be watching her?"

"Spence it's my graduation too! I deserve to enjoy it!" I leaned closer and rested my head against his shoulder as we looked out on Lake Erie. "Can you believe it? We graduated Spence. We're finally done. Just a few months until we are out of here for good."

"It's hard to believe it's finally here." He agreed. "I wish we weren't going to be so far apart, though. I mean, don't get me wrong, you're going to love it at UConn, and the team is lucky to have you, but I'll miss you."

I butted my shoulder against his. "Don't forget that you are going to have a great time at Caltech. Finally getting to study underneath competent teachers instead of burnt out coaches that can barely remember how to open a textbook? It's gonna be awesome." I softened my voice. "But I'm going to miss you too."

"Are… Are you ever nervous about the future?"

"Well yeah, who isn't?"

He shook his head and his long brown hair flopped into his face. "No just, the sheer magnitude of the unknown. Who knows where we'll be a year from now."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "Yeah I get that. I guess… You just have to trust that everything will end up the way it's supposed to, y'know?"

"Yeah but it's terrifying! Especially if you start to look into the theories behind modern quantum mechanics-"

I let my head fall back as I let out a loud groan. "C'mon Spence you know how I feel about that crap."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, sorry." We fell back into a comfortable silence as the rapper on the stereo began to sing about everyone in the club getting tipsy and our classmates let out several loud whoops.

"What if I don't fit in? What if it turns out that once you take me out of this tiny town I'm really not any smarter than the next guy? What if I don't make friends? Jayje, I don't know if I can do this."

"Spence. Hey. Don't sell yourself short. You're awesome. And of course you're going to fit in, you read 20,000 words a minute and taught yourself AP Physics. You were made for Caltech. But you're more than just smart. You're funny and caring and kind, and you're going to make all kinds of friends."

"But what if I don't? And what if…" He trailed off, eyes far away.

"What if what?"

"What if I spend the rest of my life alone? Just me and my books?"

"What?" I gave his shoulder a playful shove. "You are not going to die alone, you drama queen."

He adjusted his glasses and turned to look at me. "I'm serious, Jayje. What if I never meet anyone?"

His face was so serious and concerned that I felt slightly taken aback. Spencer was one of my best friends, but I had never seen him like this.

"Well… Then we'll get married," I replied.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"If you're really worried about it, we'll make a pact. If when we turn thirty, neither of us are married, then we'll just marry each other," I explain, a satisfied grin on my face.

H rolled his eyes at my brilliant plan. "But Jayje, you'll definitely be married by the time we're thirty."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe not. I mean, I only had one boyfriend for the entirety of high school and it was Craig Casey and he broke up with me like two months in."

"Well yeah, because you've been dating soccer since you were practically old enough to walk. You never gave anyone a chance."

"That's not true!"

"It's so true."

I held up my hands in defeat. "Either way. I mean it. You and me. If we're not married by the time we're thirty, then we will get married. Church, white dress, and all."

"You don't want to marry me."

"Spence you're my best friend! If I have to spend the rest of my life with someone, it might as well be you. I'm serious. Swear on it." I extended my pinkie towards him.

"Okay fine. But when which of turns thirty? Because my birthday is four months before yours."

I rolled my eyes. "My thirtieth birthday. Do we have a pact or not?"

He finally locked pinkies with me. "It's a pact."

Just then, I heard Lindsey's voice from the clearing. "Jenny!" She wailed, obviously crying.

I sighed and stood from the log, dusting off the butt of my jeans. "That's my sign. Time to hold her hair while she vomits everywhere. We'll hang out next week though, okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "Sure thing."

"And don't forget about our pact!" I yelled over my shoulder, running towards the flickering light of the bonfire.

"I won't!" He called after me.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Hello! Here is Chapter 2. Please let me know how you like the chapter, and as always reviews are much appreciated. Also, can I just say that I love Will? I feel bad, because he always gets shit on in my fics, but I actually love his character. Especially how we've seen he and JJ's relationship grow in this current season, they work so well together. So please know that I love him. Someday I'll write a fic to prove it. Review!)**

Quantico, VA, 2016

I don't even have my office door completely open but the phone on my desk is already ringing. I balance my cup of coffee precariously on top of my stake of files and grab the receiver.

"Jennifer Jareau, Behavioral Analysis Unit, Media Liaison." I prop the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I begin to unload everything in my arms onto my already over cluttered desk. I drop my purse underneath my desk and lean across to turn on my computer. "Yes Chief Strauss, I did receive that file, I was wondering if we- shit!" As I had reached for the monitor, my elbow had bumped into my cup, spilling the steaming hot liquid across the desk and it's many papers. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- I will review that file again and then pass it on to Agent Hotchner." I look around my office, needing something to soak up the mess as my Unit head continues speaking in my ear. "Of course. Yes ma'am. Yes, I will CC you in the email so you can see my findings. Yes. Okay." I hang up and bring a hand to my forehead in frustration. This is not how I had wanted this morning to go. I grab some paper towels from the bathroom just down the hall and begin to soak up the coffee, trying to salvage any papers I can. I once again berate myself for being so messy. I'm so busy that my desk is constantly buckling under stacks of files, stray papers, and empty coffee mugs. No matter how hard I try to keep my work space uncluttered and minimized like my coworkers, but within a matter of days or even hours it was back to being a chaotic mess.

"Hey JJ I was wondering- oh God. One of those mornings?" I look up to find my coworker and closest friend, Emily, standing in the doorway.

"What gave it away?" I ask sarcastically ask, chucking the now dripping paper towels into my trash can.

"Girl I feel you. I got all the way to the parking lot before I realized I was wearing two different shoes. I had to turn around and drive back home to change."

"Strauss wants me to go back and have a second look at a case in Oregon. I didn't think we were needed but apparently the police chief's wife is the daughter of a senator or something."

She groaned, dropping into one of my chairs. "Oregon? They have like four inches of snow on the ground, it's going to be freezing."

I sigh. "Don't I know it. And also, I don't think it's serial. It reads as more of an initial spree killing followed by half-assed copycat. But I've been 'strongly advised to reconsider' so I would make sure you have warm clothes packed in your go bag."

"Perfect. Great," she grumbles. I finally sit in my chair, the coffee disaster mostly contained.

"Could be worse. We could be going to Florida."

"At least it would be warm."

"But we both know that the worst cases are always in Florida."

"That's true. It must be something in the water." She takes a drink from her own coffee cup. "Oh so about Friday…"

This time I groan. "Em I don't know if it's a good idea."

"What?! Jayje! You're turning thirty tomorrow, we have to celebrate!"

"Okay so can we go out with the team for fajitas at Cocina Grande? I mean chances are we'll be called out on a case anyway. I don't want you to invest all of this time and energy into a party that we're going to miss for a birthday I don't even want to celebrate."

"JJ. Thirty is not the end of the world."

"I know it's just…" I sigh and fiddle with a pen, avoiding her eyes. " I always pictured my life looking a certain way at this point, y'know?"

"Oh yeah, because being the press coordinator for one of the top units in the FBI is such a disappointment, really how do face your parents during the holidays?"

I roll my eyes at her sarcasm. "You know what I mean."

"Why don't you just bite the bullet and take the agent test? We both know that's what you really want, and that you won't be happy until you do"

I finally look at her, leaning back in my chair. "Well what if I don't pass? And then I have to come back to my job as Media Liaison knowing that I failed."

"Or… You pass, because you're incredibly talented and we get to utilize you properly in the field. You have to focus on the positive"

"I also need to take all kinds of classes in order to qualify for the exam, and I don't have the time."

"Okay well now you're just making excuses. You need to bite the bullet and do it. We need you. You'd be a great profiler."

"Thanks, Em."

We exchange smiles and she stands to leave my office. "And don't think I've forgotten about the party. I already rented the back room at Ferdinand's, I've invited everyone I know. Which reminds me, did you want me to invite Will?"

I can't help but chew on my cheek as I turn to my computer screen. "Uhm… Sure! I'll ask him if he wants to go. He'll probably have to work though."

She leans against my door frame. "I'm so confused. Are you guys dating or not?"

I lift my eyes and hands toward the ceiling. "I don't know, Em. Sometimes I think he wants us to shack up and get married, sometimes I feel like I'm inconveniencing him by wanting to grab lunch."

"I'm sorry. Well, maybe the party will happen to fall on a shack up and get married night!"

"If nothing else, it would please my mother. I think she's the only one more disheartened by my birthday than I am. You should hear our phone conversations. 'Oh did you hear? Lindsey's pregnant again! They're hoping for a little boy this time! And your cousin Erica just got engaged, Aunt Julie thinks it will be in July, would you want to be a bridesmaid?' It's enough to drive a person crazy."

She just laughs. "Everything will be fine, Jayje. I promise."

"Easy for you to say!" I call after her as she leaves my office. Will Lamontagne is the guy I had been seeing on and off for the last six months. We had met at a law enforcement mixer where the BAU was being honored with an award. He was charming and passionate, originally from New Orleans. Sometimes everything seemed perfect; we had a lot in common and had great chemistry. But other days it all seemed to fall a bit flat, like we were both going through the motions but there was no heart in it. And I hadn't been lying to Em, I could never quite gauge how he felt about me and where the relationship was heading. He had brought up marriage a few times.

And part of me wanted that. To get married and start a family, like my mother kept gently reminding me everyone else was doing. But I couldn't help the feeling that I didn't really want to marry Will. I just wanted to get married so I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. I wouldn't have to face the awkward questions at Christmas as I held the numerous children of my cousins. Settling on Will when I wasn't sure that I loved him wouldn't be fair to either one of us.

But who was to say that Will definitely wanted to marry me? Sometimes we went a week or two without seeing each other, both of us busy and exhausted by our demanding jobs. One would make a half hearted attempt to arrange a meet up of some sort and it would fall through. It wasn't really how I pictured dating the man of my dreams.

My phone ringing pulled me from my thoughts of my less than satisfactory relationship. "Jennifer Jareau, Behavioral Analysis Unit, Media Liaison."


	3. Chapter 3

**(Alrighty every one, here is chapter three! As always, I hope that you enjoy, and I would love to get some reviews!)**

When I walk into the office, I don't see any of my coworkers. This would normally be very strange, but at the moment I'm so relieved I don't care. The less people wishing me congratulations on turning thirty the better. I quickly stride across the bull pen, offering smiles to the people I made eye contact with but not stopping for small talk. I let out a small sigh of relief as I get into my office, shutting the door behind me. I flick on the light.

"Surprise!" I can't help my small yelp of surprise as my colleagues jump out from behind my desk, my chairs, even my bookcase.

"Happy birthday!" yells Emily.

"You guys!" I admonish, as I fight to get my heart rate under control.

"Did we scare you?" Garcia asks with glee from the corner of the room.

"Of course we did, did you not see the look on her face?" Derek slings his arm around her shoulders. "She nearly jumped out of her skin."

"Well is it really a good idea to jump out at someone who looks at murder cases all day?" I defend.

"That's what I said." says Rossi as he gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Jen."

"Thanks Dave."

"I can only hope I look as good as you when I am your age." He strokes his graying goatee with a smirk.

"Well I'll have to let you in on my moisturizing routine."

"Oh and we got you something!" Garcia pulls a platter of cupcakes from beneath my desk.

"Guys you really shouldn't have, especially since someone," I throw a mock glare at Emily, "is insisting on throwing me a party at Ferdinand's."

"This way we make sure to all celebrate your birthday no matter what happens case wise." says Hotch, also giving me a hug. "Happy thirtieth."

"Thank you, thank you." I reply, giving everyone squeezed into my office a hug before picking a blue frosted cupcake off of the platter. "I take that to mean that we are taking the Oregon case?" I aim my question at Hotch.

He nods. "Yes. I happen to agree with you, I don't think it's serial but Chief Strauss was very insistent."

"Oh trust me, I know." I lick a bit of spare icing off of my hand.

"What's happening in Oregon?" asks Derek.

"Let's go ahead and move this into the conference room and we can discuss it at length." Hotch says. Garcia picks up the baked goods and we all follow her out of the office.

Emily walks next to me across the bull pen. "Hey so did you get a chance to talk to Will?"

I sigh. "I called last night when I left work and he didn't answer. He called back while I was out on a run. I finally got a hold of him right before I went to bed and he said that he would try to make it but that he's working a double on Friday. Which is Will speak for 'don't count on it'."

"Uhm or it could be Will speak for 'I am a super hot, hardworking detective who recognizes that you are also a dedicated, work minded individual who also happens to have an ass that won't quit and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I am at your birthday party on Friday night'."

I smile as she buts her shoulder into mine. "Hopefully you're right. It would be nice to see him. If we're even back in time for the party."

"JJ I will interrogate every person in the entire state of Oregon if that's what it takes to get us back in Quantico in time."

I laugh, touched by everything Em does for me. "Well lets hope it doesn't come to that."

Once everyone is seated around the table I grab the remote and bring up a series of pictures on to the projection screen. "Alright. A week ago in Eugene, OR man walked into a Mexican food restaurant as they were opening and shot the owner, 48 year old Juan Ortega, his wife, 46 year old Paola Ortega, and both waitresses, Erica Jimenez and Cindy Acosta, both in high school. The only person left alive was a delivery man, Sam Statton, who walked in during the immediate aftermath. He was pistol whipped to the face, effectively knocking him out then tied up and left in the kitchen. The man then wrote "Die you- well you can see the word he chose." I say, referring to the anti Latino term scrawled across the wall of the restaurant in lurid red spray paint."

"Leaving a witness, that's pretty ballsy." remarks Rossi.

"Spared because he was white, I assume. Was he able to give a description to the police?" asks Emily, squinting at the screen.

"No, only that it was a white guy, average height and weight, wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and sporting 'quite the beard.' Witness's words, not mine."

"Well that doesn't really give us anything to go off of. What about motive, other than the obvious. Was there any money missing from the cash registers?" Derek asks as he flips through the files I have begun to pass out.

"No. The tills matched the closing records from the night before."

"What about evidence of sexual assault on the female victims?"

"The two young girls were found stripped of their clothing, but there were no medical evidence to suggest he molested them. Mrs. Ortega was found fully clothed."

"Okay well I'll state the obvious. This has to be race related. But I wasn't aware of any growing racial tension in this part of the country." Emily takes a sip from her coffee.

Garcia has been searching madly on her tablet. "There haven't been any big events like this, no. However, the Hispanic population of Oregon has been growing. In 1990, people identifying as Latino only made up four percent of the state population, but the 2010 census show the number as now twelve percent."

"But this isn't a serial case, it's a spree killing," points out Morgan.

I nod then turn back to the screen. "Two days after the murders, there was a shooting at a park in Springfield, a slightly smaller city in the same metro area as Eugene. Many were injured and three died, including a Latino teenager, and a young mother and her child."

"But it wouldn't make sense for the unsub to go from a controlled environment like the restaurant to targets of chance like those in the park."

I nod my head in agreeance with Derek. "Both Hotch and I felt the same way. But as it turns out, the lead sheriff on the case is married to a cousin of the governor, who contacted Strauss directly."

"So we're going anyway." deduced Emily.

"Yes. Even if it turns out that the park shooting is the work of a copy cat as we suspect, someone needs to step in and put a stop to this before they hysteria spirals out of control. Everyone get your things gathered, wheels up in thirty. Oh and make sure you have appropriate clothing, a snowstorm should be arriving shortly after we do." Hotch dismisses us with a curt nod, and Emily and I lock eyes as we walk to our respective desks.

"At least it's not Florida." I remind her.

We are on the plane, waiting for it to board when my phone begins to vibrate.

"Hey Mom," I answer.

"Happy birthday, Jenny!" comes my mother's warm, loud voice.

"Thank you!"

"Happy birthday, champ!"

I can't help but roll my eyes at the junior high nickname my dad still insists on using. "Thanks Dad."

"Do you have any fun plans for the big three-oh?"

I drum my fingers on my armrest, knowing that my answer won't please her. "Well, the team surprised me with cupcakes this morning, but now we're on the jet, headed to Oregon."

She heaves a deep sigh, and I can hear her bustling about the kitchen before she responds. "Y'know Jenny they take you for granted. Not everyone would be so willing to work on their birthday."

"It's fine, I really don't mind."

"And don't even get me started on you having to work on holidays. Christmas is a sacred time, meant for family, and they should recognize that!"

"Well as it turns out, serial killers are less than compassionate and don't take holidays off so we don't get to either."

"Jen there's no reason to sass your mother."

"And pray tell how are you supposed to lead a normal life, what with your jetting around the country on a moment's whim?"

"It's hardly a moment's whim, Mom-"

"Do none of those FBI agents have families? Husbands and children to look after?"

"I'm sure some do-"

"Well I just don't see how you are going to settle down and have a family with this crazy job of yours. I mean when do you even see Will? Or are you two even still together?"

I lift my eyes to the cabin ceiling, praying to the universe to make this conversation end. "Well actually, a friend is throwing me a birthday party this Friday night and he's going to be there. So I'll see him then."

"A birthday party? Well that's very thoughtful. Which friend?"

"Emily. You remember, you met her when you came up to visit last fall."

"Oh yes that's right. I liked her, didn't you Jerry? She seemed very nice. And pretty too. I don't know why she's not married either, she seemed lovely-"

"-Mom I'm sure if Emily wants to get married, she-"

"-don't interrupt you mother-"

"-I just don't understand you girls and this stubborn-"

"-hey I'm actually going to have to let you go, the jet is about to take off."

"Oh okay! Well I'm glad we caught you before you left. We love you so, so much and hope you have a wonderful birthday."

"Thank you, I'm sure I will."

"Say hi to Emily for us. And Will!"

"Goodbye Mom, bye dad." I hang up my phone and turn to find the team gathered and watching me. "I am so sorry."

"Did I hear correctly that your mother is concerned for my chance of getting married? She met me once."

"Well someone ought to be concerned." Emily whacks Derek playfully on the shoulder.

"Yes. She just doesn't understand why we haven't found our soul mates and settled down already. She also just cant see why I have to work on my birthday and holidays."

"Have you tried explaining that serial killers don't exactly adhere to a convenient schedule?" Hotch asks with a slight smile.

"I did."

"And?"

"If I remember correctly I think my dad told me to stop sassing my mother. Have I mentioned that today is my thirtieth birthday, not my thirteenth?"

The team laughs and we all take our seats for lift off. Em sits next to me on the couch. "Really though, I'm touched that your mother is worried about my prospects, even at thirty six."

"Well she made a point to say that you were both pretty and lovely, so there you go."

"Aw thanks, Mama Jareau." We sit in silence for a few minutes as the jet begins to taxi. "You realize that most people don't get married until their thirties now, right? And that your mom, while wanting the best for you, doesn't understand that? Thirty is not the end of the line. Everything will work itself out."

I smile gratefully at my best friend. "Thank Em. I really hope so."


	4. Chapter 4

**(Hey guys! Woa, my first update in two months. I'm the worst, I apologize. Anyway here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy and I would love to hear some feedback!)**

It is by some small miracle that we are back on the jet Friday morning. Normally it could take a number of days before we caught the first break. However, we had unearthed a lead just a few hours after landing. It turns out that we had been correct in our original estimation and the two events were committed by different perpetrators. The park shooter turned out to be a senior at the local high school, Shawn Atwood. He was a typically arrogant, reclusive teen who had become bored with his white, middle class upbringing. He had been inspired by the media whirlwind that kicked up in the aftermath of the restaurant murders. Garcia unearthed several self congratulatory social media posts about "cleaning up the trash at the park" and we brought him in for questioning.

After extracting a confession, we booked him for the three murders. I then held a press conference giving him credit for both incidents, strategically praising his skill. I also mentioned a benefit dinner being held downtown to benefit the families as well as the local chapter of the Hispanic Americans Association. We were fortunate that this plan worked perfectly to draw the original unsub, Arthur Olsen, out into the open. He was taken down just seconds after he exited his van. It was as close as we got to a happy ending in our line of work; the bad guys were behind bars without anyone else getting hurt in the process.

Emily sinks into the seat next to me. "Excited about tonight?" she asks, eyes gleaming.

It is with great difficulty that I stifle my groan. The only thing I want to do when we landed was go home, change into sweats, and watch reruns of Friends until I fall asleep. Instead, I paste on a smile. "Oh yeah! Definitely. What time do I need to be there?"

"Eight o' clock sharp. Any words from Will?"

I sigh. "He said he's going to try his best to make it, but it'll just depend on what cases are coming in."

"Did he add that last part or did you?"

"Well he maybe didn't say those exact words but it was implied."

She rolls her eyes. "If he said he's going to try to make it then he's going to try his hardest. At least give him the benefit of the doubt."

I nod. She's right of course. He had assured me that if at all possible he would be there. I just knew how easy it was to get sucked into our jobs. I certainly wasn't holding my breath.

"Do you know what you're wearing?"

I scroll through my Facebook feed on my phone. "Yeah, I was thinking that red dress I wore to last year's Christmas party."

"Oh that'll be great, it looks great on you. Not that most things don't look great on you, but you know what I mean."

I smile good naturedly. "How many people are we expecting?"

She glances away from me, her face the very picture of innocence. "Not that many… Twenty? Maybe thirty?"

This time I can't stop the groan. "Emily!"

"Spare me the dramatics! Turning thirty is a big deal, okay? And we're going to celebrate it. You're going to have a great time, so try not to act like I'm dragging you in front of the firing squad, okay?"

I sigh and smile. "I'm sorry. You're right. Everything is going to be great."

As I sit in my car in the Ferdinand's parking lot, I can't help but curse Emily. I won't know for sure until I go inside but judging by the parking lot, thirty was a modest estimate. I take a deep breath and check my makeup in the rear view mirror again. I remind myself that I'm being ridiculous. I've played soccer in front of crowds of thousands. I give televised press conferences on a weekly basis. This was just a warm get together with friends and colleagues to celebrate my birthday. I mean, there would be Mexican food and an open bar. What's not to like about that?

Of course, deep down I know it's not the party that's bothering me. Not really. It's the milestone that thirty represents. My entire life had consisted of striving for bigger and better. By almost anyone's estimates I had worked hard to make my family proud. But as everyday more of my peers got engaged and announced their pregnancies, I couldn't ignore that distinctly lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I kept telling myself that it would happen when it happened; you can't force anything. And after all, I was dating Will. Wasn't that a step in the right direction? You can't get married without getting engaged, and you can't get engaged without dating. Does it really matter that it seemed like everyone I know seems to be settling down with their picket fences? No.

I take another deep breath and square my shoulders. I can do this. I get out of the car and cross the parking lot, pulling my wrap closer to my shoulders against the slight chill in the wind. Once inside the restaurant, I tell the host that I'm here for the birthday party and she leads me to the back room. She pulls back a curtain and I step through. Inside seems to be every person I have ever exchanged more than five sentences with.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JJ!" they chorus loudly.

It's overwhelming but I manage a smile anyways. "Thank you! Oh my gosh, it's so… everyone's here!"

My words are met with laughter and Emily steps forward to hug me. "I'm sorry, I know this is bigger than I implied," she hastily whispers in my ear.

I smile and shake my head as she pulls back. "No, it's… It's great. Really Em, you didn't need to, but thank you."

She grabs a cocktail from a nearby table and presses it into my hand. "Well go on then. It's your birthday party! Go and mingle!" And with a slight push I find myself in the midst of a knot of coworkers, all anxious to wish me a happy birthday.

Two hours later finds me well on my way to being drunk, still engaging in small talk and pleasantries. Emily is suddenly at my elbow.

"Sorry I'm going to steal the birthday girl away for just a moment," she says to the Human Resources people who I've been discussing the political climate with. She leads me several feet away and I turn gratefully to her.

"Oh my god, thank you. I swear those guys can talk about European relations for hours."

She takes the empty glass from my hand and replaces it with a full drink, then turns me so that I'm facing the curtained entrance. Standing just inside, sports coat thrown over his arm, is Will. He looks a little uneasy but incredibly handsome. My heart warms at the sight of him but a strange weight settles somewhere behind my belly button.

"Will!" I call out. He turns his head towards me and a crooked smile graces his lips. I pick my way through the crowd, coming to stand in front of him.

"Hey there, Jen," he presses a kiss to my cheek. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks Will." I slip my hand into the crook of his arm. "Here, let me introduce you to some of the team." We make our way to each of my coworkers, letting them meet Will for the first time. After leaving Rossi to discuss the merits of Perry Como versus Dean Martin with an agent from the White Collar unit, we make our way to grab some food.

"Hey did you maybe want to steal outside for a bit?" he whispers in my ear.

I pull back to look in his eyes, intending to agree. But at the last moment something in my soul says no. I have no justification, just this annoying little voice that insists that it's my stupid party and I need to stay here. If nothing else, it's the polite thing to do. I mean, what kind of message would it send if I left, especially after Emily went to all this trouble?

"Will, I…" I trail off. "Let's just stay in here. Are you hungry? They have the best guacamole." I busy myself with making myself a plate. I can hear him sigh beside me, but he follows my lead. As we take the first couple bites of our tacos, Morgan approaches.

"JJ I'm sorry but I need you to settle a little dispute I'm having with Hotch over the rules of darts. Do you have a second?"

I laugh and nod. I kiss Will on the cheek and promise to return shortly. I follow Morgan to the darts board and proceed to wipe the floor with both of them. Morgan, not wanting to lose face with beautiful women in attendance then challenges me to a game of pool, something he was sure he could redeem himself at. We turn out to be pretty evenly matched, so the game quickly turns into several. As I go to break the balls for our third game, Will comes and puts a hand on the small of my back.

"Jayje I'm gonna head out."

I'm overcome with guilt. "Will! I'm… I'm sorry, I got pulled into pool and… I'm sorry."

He smiles and kisses my cheek. "Don't worry about it, Cher. I'll text you tomorrow. I hope you had a good birthday."

I watch him leave, chewing on the inside of my cheek. I think about going after him, but then Morgan sinks two striped balls in a row and I am sucked back into our game by my competitive streak.

The rest of the night passes in a pleasurable blur. Thanks to Emily's insistence, I have a drink in my hand almost the entire night. Somewhere past one in the morning she drives me home and walks me into my apartment.

"So be honest," she asks as I concentrate on trying to get my key in the lock, "did you have a good time?"

I finally open the door and turn back to her in triumph. I see the apprehension in her eyes and wrap my arms tightly around her neck. "I really did. Thank you for making me celebrate my thirtieth birthday. And thank you for an amazing party."

She squeezes me back and says goodnight. I drop my purse on the couch and kick off my shoes. I crawl into my bed without bothering to take off my makeup or change out of my dress. Overall, it really hadn't been that bad of a birthday. Actually, it had been a wonderful night.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Hey guys! So sorry for the delay! I've been super busy with school but thankfully things are starting to slow down a little bit, so hopefully I'll be back on track, updating with somewhat regularity. On the plus side, I have this story outlined all the way to chapter 15, so I know where it's going and I'm very excited! For those of you that have been complaining about too much Will and not enough Spence, never fear! This is the last chapter to heavily focus on the former and our beautiful boy genius makes his appearance next chapter. So hang in there! As always, much love, and please review, it means a lot!)**

When I wake up, my mouth is dry and my head is pounding. I struggle to sit up, pushing away my blanket. I can't help but groan as I squint against the sunlight streaming in from the window. I can't help but curse Emily for plying me with drinks last night.

I sluggishly crawl out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. Last night's makeup is smeared across my face and what had been soft waves is now a blonde mess. My stomach lurches and I lean against the sink. _Is this my life now? I've turned thirty and now I can't have a night of drinking without feeling like death the next day?_ I turn on the shower and strip out of my dress. I can only hope that the warm spray will help wash away the after effects of the alcohol, or this day is going to be incredibly rough.

I am grateful that when I do leave my bathroom I have returned to the world of the living. I start the coffee pot and fish some crackers out of the pantry. I munch on them as I grab my phone from my purse and check my notifications. I respond to several texts from Emily and Garcia as well as a few work emails before the coffee pot signals it's finished brewing. I pour a cup and add in sugar and cream.

I snuggle underneath a blanket on the couch and reflect on last night's party. Taking everything into account, I had to give Emily credit. For as much as I had complained and begged her not to throw the party, I had had a wonderful time. It had been great to get together with the people I cared about and just have fun.

With the exception of course being… Will. My stomach can't help but ache with something akin to shame as I consider the fact that I barely spent any time with him. He had made an effort to come to my party and see me and I had essentially abandoned him. I was so quick to criticize our relationship, but what kind of girlfriend was I being? As I finish my coffee, I decide that I need to make it up to him. I know that he has today off (no doubt hoping that he would end up spending the night at my place or vice versa) so I assume he's at home, catching up on rest. I brush out my hair and apply a little mascara. I dig around in the back of my dresser drawer until I come across a set of skimpy lingerie that I had received as a gag gift a few Christmases back. I've never worn it, in fact I had almost tossed it in the garbage, but all things considered, it might be the exact thing I need.

I pull both pieces on, then quickly don a pair of jeans and long sleeve top over it. I grab my purse from the couch and slide on last night's heels before making my way outside. On the way to Will's apartment, I swing by his favorite restaurant to grab some brunch. We had gone together several times, and he had always said that the food was the true way to his heart. Hopefully the breakfast burritos, combined with the scraps of navy blue lace now adorning my body, will stand up to the test.

I am almost to his apartment complex when I realize that he may not even be home. He could have been called in to cover a shift or have gone to the gym or might be hanging out with a friend. I am relieved to see his SUV in the nearly full parking lot. I get a spot as close to his door as I can. I dig the key he had given me out of my purse and let myself in. All of the lights are turned off in the living room. I peek my head into the kitchen but it's empty.

Unbidden, horrible images pop into my mind. Will, coming home from my party, surprising an intruder. The two men fighting but the criminal getting the upper hand. Him stabbing Will before taking off with anything of value, leaving Will bleeding out on the floor. I shake my head in frustration. _Pull yourself together, JJ. You're not at work. Not everything is a crime scene._ Still, I place the bag of burritos on the counter with a feeling of unease spreading through my stomach. I wish that I had chosen to bring along my firearm to this excursion. As I walk through the dimmed living room, I see his bedroom door is closed. I can't stop my sigh of relief, he's just asleep. I decide that my apology should double as a pleasant wake up, and tug my top over my head. I slide off my heels and toss them to the side. I gently turn the door handle, not wanting to wake him up prematurely, and let myself into his bedroom.

For a moment, my eyes can't register what is in front of them and I stand in the doorway in mute shock. Instead of finding my boyfriend asleep, I see him on his knees in the middle of the bed, one hand clutching the headboard the other gripping the hip of a beautiful woman. At first I can't do anything but watch as they move against each other, his pale skin a beautiful contrast against her tanned body. Then my mind catches up to my body and I think I'm going to vomit.

"Oh my god!" Both of their heads whip to face me, and I am painfully aware of the fact that I am standing in front of them in nothing but my jeans and stupid blue bra. My sudden shyness is hilarious considering the fact that they are wearing nothing, but it is what it is.

"JJ! Cher…" Will can do nothing but stare at me, dumbfounded, still inside of the woman who I now recognize as his partner, Jodi. I turn and leave the bedroom, my face hot, tears quickly rising to the surface. I hear the commotion in the bedroom behind me and know that he is following me. I grab my shirt from the back of the couch and pull it on, hugging it close as I look around desperately for my heels.

Will comes to stand behind me and grasps my elbows gently in his hands. I pull roughly away and turn to look at him. He's had the decency to pull on a pair of boxers but I can still see the sweat glistening on his body. "JJ please… This isn't… Babe, this isn't what it looks like."

"Really? Because it looks like you're cheating on me with your partner."

"I… No. No this is just…"

"What, Will? Tell me. Honestly what is this?"

"I'm going to go." I look over his shoulder to see Jodi standing in the doorway, clothes hastily pulled on, shoes in her hand. I run my fingers through my hair as Will turns, looking back and forth between us.

"Yeah, I think that's probably for the best." I say, trying to keep my voice level.

She brushes past us and exits through the front door without another word, leaving Will and I to stare at each other.

"Well I don't even know what to say. Well done, I guess. I never even suspected that you had someone on the side. I don't know if that makes me an idiot or you just really great at hiding infidelity, but either way."

"Jen we had never… This is the first time I've ever been with someone else since we began dating. I promise. This just happened."

My eyes are full of tears again but I'm determined not to cry in front of him so I mask my pain with sarcasm. "Congratulations," I ooze, clapping my hands in a slow, mock applause, "you managed to wait six months into our relationship before screwing someone else behind my back. Bravo. Really."

"Now wait just a damn minute. Are you really going to act like you had nothing to do with this?"

My mouth drops open and I am suddenly very glad that I didn't bring my gun. "Excuse me?"

"Last night at your party you barely even looked at me! It was like I didn't even exist. I went through all that trouble to try to get there, and it was like you couldn't have cared less."

I let out a mirthless laugh. "You felt like I didn't pay you enough attention so you jumped into someone else's arms?"

"No, stop it. That's not how it happened. I got home last night and I was upset, I admit I was. I broke into a bottle of Bourbon and I was texting Jodi and she was worried about me so she came over to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."

"So having sex with her? That didn't flag as something 'stupid' to either of you?"

"Oh for God's sake Jayje, it just happened, okay? And I wish I could take it back but I can't."

"See here's what doesn't make any sense, Will. I guess I can see how you might have made a drunken mistake, in the heat of the moment. But what about just now? This morning was just… cementing bad decisions?"

He rests his hand on his hips and lets out a deep sigh. "JJ… I… I don't have a good reason. Okay? I don't. I wish I did."

I open my mouth to try to find a response but I come up empty. We stare at each other from across the living room.

"I came here because I felt bad about last night." I finally whisper. "I woke up this morning and I just kept thinking about how wonderful you have always been to me, and how I don't show my appreciation enough." The tears start to fall and I wipe them away angrily with the back of my hand. "I brought you a burrito, I even wore this stupid lingerie, all because I felt like you deserved it for having to put up with me."

He steps forward and wraps me gently in his arms. My first reaction is to pull away, but instead I rest my head on his shoulder and let the tears come as he whispers apologies in my ear.

After the crying begins to ease, I pull back, clearing my throat. "Would you have told me?"

"About Jodi?" I nod. "I don't know. I'd like to think I would have."

We stare at each other in silence again. "Does this mean we're breaking up?" he finally asks.

I can't help but laugh. "Yeah, Will. I think it does."

He nods. "That's probably for the best." I finally spot my shoes from where they fell behind an armchair. I pull them on, not meeting his gaze.

"Uhm… Do you want the burrito? I mean, I bought it for you. I can't eat them both."

This time he laughs. "Sure. I guess something good has to come out of this shitty day."

I retrieve the bag from the kitchen counter, and hand it to him. I head for the front door before turning back to him.

"Did… Was it anything I did?" I then shake my head, feeling immensely stupid. "Never mind."

"It… Sometimes it just felt like you didn't want us to be together. I mean, sometimes everything was great, and it felt like we were on course. But other times I just felt like a stray dog, hangin' around where he wasn't wanted."

I let out a watery chuckle. He shoots me a questioning look and I say,"That's what I told Emily about you. I guess we were more on the same wavelength than we realized."

I stand there for a moment, staring at him. "I'm gonna go."

He nods and I walk out the front door. I make it just a few steps before I have to turn around. As I come back through the door, he raises his head and looks at me with hopeful eyes. "Second thoughts?"

I reach into my bag and dig out his key, pressing it into his hand. He stares down at it. "I would return the favor, but you never gave me a key to your place."

I nod. "I guess this is where we were always headed. We just didn't realize it."

He nods back at me. "I'm sorry, JJ. I really never meant for any of this to happen."

"I know. I'm sorry too, Will."

And with that, I turn and leave the apartment again, not looking back.


	6. Chapter 6

**(Hello! The Spring semester is finally over! It's summer and I once again have a few moments to myself, which I fully intend to spend catching up on my fanfics! I apologize for the delay, but this chapter does involve everyone's favorite boy genius. I hope you all enjoy, and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! Jordon)**

It's been almost a week since I walked in on Will cheating on me. I had intended on keeping my subsequent breakup under wraps for as long as possible and waiting until it wasn't quite so painful before talking about it, but unfortunately that's not how it went.

Monday morning had been spent in my office reviewing cases and fielding emails. Then just after lunch I received a case that I knew needed our attention. I presented it to Hotch and he agreed, so I gathered the team in the conference room to debrief. As we were waiting for Garcia to arrive, Emily had begun questioning me about the weekend.

"So how did the rest of your birthday weekend go? Any thrilling anecdotes to share?"

I had cleared my throat awkwardly, desperately wanting to discuss anything else in the known universe. "It was fine." I supplied, keeping my eyes glued to the folder in front of me. Both Emily and Morgan interpreted my unwillingness to talk as a sure sign that the past few days had been filled with passionate, all-holds-barred lovemaking.

"I knew it! My superior party planning skills SO got you laid." Emily's smug grin was so wide it seemed like it would crack her face.

"C'mon now, no need to be shy. Set the mood. Did he make you breakfast in bed, did he take you out dancing, what happened?"

I still didn't look up as I answered Morgan's teasing questions. "I went to Will's house Saturday morning, it was fine."

"I deserve more details than this! You're going to tell me everything later, right? Away from Morgan?"

"Excuse me, but I also want to know everything JJ got up to this weekend-"

"Morgan, Prentiss, leave her alone." Hotch deadpanned, cutting them off.

We sat in silence for a few moments before Rossi piped up. "But seriously Jen, did he make you breakfast in bed? He seems like a breakfast in bed kind of guy."

My resolve finally snapped. "No, he didn't. He… I… We broke up. But it's for the better. I'm fine"

I chanced a glance up at the room and found them all staring at me, mouths open.

"What… What happened? I'm sorry, I would never have guessed… Everything seemed fine at your party!" Emily asked gently.

I cleared my throat again and shook my hair back from my face. "I… I found him in bed with someone else. Saturday morning. So I broke it off."

"I'm so sorry. Really Jayje, that's awful." Morgan said, his face downcast.

"It's okay. I mean, obviously this is for the best, right?"

It was at that moment that Garcia chose to enter the room. "JJ! Just the woman I've been wanting to see! I want all of the juicy details from this weekend, and when I say 'all' believe that I truly mean each and every one."

It had been a long week.

But now it was Saturday. We had arrived back from a case in Utah later Friday night and everyone had gone straight home and gone to bed. I had hoped to spend this weekend indulging in crappy TV and takeout, but Emily and Garcia were having none of it.

Perhaps feeling a little guilty that her party had led to these events, even though I tried to assure her over and over that it was just a matter of time, Emily had talked me into a girls night, out on the town. She even offered to be the driver so that Garcia and I could drink as much as we wanted. And it's been an okay night. We've hopped from bar to bar, taking advantage of happy hours and drinking our weight in sugary concoctions. And now we're headed back to my place to watch a movie and go to bed.

"Wait! JJ do you have food at your house?" Garcia asks from the backseat.

"Uhm… I mean it's been a while since I've been shopping. I might have like a couple cans of soup?"

"No, no, no, that won't work. Beautiful Emily, please steer this ship towards a deli. I need junk food. Chips, candy, ice cream, the whole gamut."

Emily laughs as she turns off the main road. "Y'know I'm not a chauffeur."

"And yet, you make such a great designated driver. The best, I tell you, the best." I begin to giggle at Garcia's drunken compliments, and by the time Emily pulls in front of a 24 hour convenience store, the three of us have dissolved into laughter. We exit the SUV and stumble through the door. The flickering fluorescent lights are too bright for my current state and I fight the urge to cover my eyes with my hand. Garcia immediately bounds away in search of sugary goodness and I step away from Emily to survey the chip aisle. _Lay's, Frito's, Doritos…_ The garishly colored bags line the shelves like soldiers standing at attention. An old 90s hip hop song plays on the intercom system and I hum along as I scan for the familiar orange bag.

I'm about to give up when I spot Cheetos on the very top shelf. I stretch up on my slightly shaky legs, and attempt to snag the bottom corner. Just as I finally make contact, I hear a voice from the other end of the aisle.

"JJ?"

Startled, I turn towards the noise, thus pulling the bag down and making it smack into my face. I let out a small yelp and grab the bag from the ground. Embarrassed, I take a moment to steady myself before returning to the voice.

Standing at the end of the aisle is a man. Tall, long brown hair, a messenger bag is slung across his chest and his large hands are awkwardly clutching the strap. I am overcome with a sense of familiarity, I know I know him, but where in the world… I let my eyes flicker upwards and the moment I connect with his large, brown eyes, my mind finally scrambles together and everything snaps into place.

"Spencer? Spencer Reid?" My voice is laced with doubt, but when his face breaks out in a wide smile, I know it's him. "Oh my god! You… I haven't seen… Oh my god!"

"I thought it was you! I didn't know for sure, but then I saw you risking life and limb for Cheetos and figured it could be none other." he explains.

I laugh and open my arms. He does the same and I pull him in for a hug. _Spencer Reid. My best friend for how many years, here in front of me, in the flesh._

"It's been so long!" I can't help but say when I step back. "What are you doing here? Last I had heard you were out West, working at like UCLA or Berkeley."

"Yeah, well I was! And then when mom started to get worse, I wanted to move closer. I took a position at the University of Buffalo, did that for a couple of years. And then Mom… well…"

I laid a hand on his arm. "I was so sorry to hear that she passed. I tried everything I could to get back for the funeral, but we ended up in Wyoming, chasing a serial killer."

"I know, thank you." We stand in silence for a moment. "And hey! What about you! Your parents were great about coming over to visit Mom, she said you work for the FBI?"

"Yeah! I've been with Bureau for six years now!"

"That's amazing JJ! I never would have guessed! I mean, I'm sure you're wonderful, but-"

"No, I get what you mean." I laugh. "It just kind of happened. But I really enjoy it. I think it's a good fit."

"What unit do you work for?"

"BAU, the Behavioral Analysis Unit? We mainly work to track-"

"-serial killers! No way!"

"Yeah! Who would have thought, right?"

"That's crazy, you'll actually never believe-"

"JJ?"

I turn to find Em and Penelope standing by the cash register. "Oh crap, that's my friends. I have to go but, oh my god it is so great to see you!" I give him another hug and begin to walk toward the front of the store. "We have to grab a coffee, catch up! Are you on Facebook?" He shoves his hands into his pockets and gives me a sheepish grin. "I don't know why I even asked," I tease. "Give me a call at the BAU, okay? We'll make plans."

"It was good to see you, JJ."

"You too, Spence!" I slide some money to the cashier and follow the girls back to the SUV.

"Ooooh Jayje, who was that?" Penelope singsongs when we are back on the road.

"That was my best friend from high school, Spencer. Holy shit, I can't believe we ran into each other!"

"He lives in the city?"

"I don't think so. He mentioned that he moved to Buffalo so he could be near his mom, but I don't really know what he's doing now. I didn't have a chance to ask."

"You haven't stayed in touch?" Emily glances over from the driver's seat and I shake my head.

"No, we… Well I went to UConn, he went to CalTech. We promised that we would write and call, but I was so busy with soccer and he ended up getting a PhD. God we haven't spoken in like nine, ten years."

"Well he's certainly a hunk."

"Gross Garcia!" I groan. "We've known each other since we were literally four years old. We've seen everything, braces, bad haircuts, acne, the good, bad, and ugly."

"Oh please, don't act like you went through anything even close to bad or ugly, I've seen your yearbook photos, you managed to even make perms look chic."

"Garcia! Is nothing sacred!"

"I'm just saying, you wanna see bad, I'll pull up this one's senior picture. There's enough makeup and hair to be reminiscent of Cats the musical." Garcia says, gesturing to Emily.

We dissolve back into laughter, and I'm reminded that no matter what happens in my romantic life, with friends like these, everything will be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**(Here's Chapter 7! I hope you enjoy. Review!)**

The rest of the weekend is thankfully quiet. I spend a quiet Sunday alone, doing laundry and dishes, restocking my fridge and pantry (it turns out I hadn't been exaggerating when I told Garcia I was out of food), and relaxing. With the BAU, it's something of an anomaly to have time off, and I've learned to cling to the time I'm given.

Monday morning dawns much too early for my liking, but I get up anyway. I'm the first in the office this morning. It's uncommon for me to beat Hotch here, but I assume he'll be in soon enough. I dive into my emails and the next thing I know, hours have passed and it's ten o' clock. On my way to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup, I swing by Emily's desk.

"Has anyone heard from Hotch this morning?"

"Nope. Not a word. You think he's sick?"

I can't help but snort a little at her question. "Are we talking about the same person? Aaron Hotchner? At this point, I think germs are afraid of him. I can't say that I've even heard him cough."

"Maybe he's got a secret girlfriend none of us know about, and he overslept."

"You sound like Garcia. He's probably just in a meeting."

She cocks a perfect eye brow at me. "A meeting that you aren't aware of? Not possible. I like my theory better." I don't bother answering as I resume my trek for my caffeine. "You never know! Stranger things have happened.!" She calls, following after me with her own coffee cup.

"You don't think it's more probable that he maybe had to do something with Jack this morning? Like a parent teacher conference or something?"

"Probably, but where's the fun in that?" She holds out her cup and I top it off.

"So how was your weekend?" I ask.

She shrugs as she retrieves creamer from the fridge. "Nothing to write home about. Spent some time at the shooting range, cuddled with Sergio, binged some History channel. You?"

"The same. Went grocery shopping, apparently for the first time this year. Went for a run in the park."

We're walking back through the bull pen when we see Hotch up on the catwalk. "JJ, Prentiss, everyone's in the conference room."

"Is everything okay? Do we have a case?"

"Not a case."

I make eye contact with Emily and I can see that she also didn't miss that he only answered one of my questions. We follow him.

"Did something happen?" Emily ventures.

He glances over his shoulder.  
"It's nothing like that. In fact, it's some good news for once. I've been in Strauss's office all morning. We're getting a new addition to the team. I didn't want to say anything prematurely, but it's official. I think it will be a good fit. His name is-"

"Spencer?" The name falls out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop it. Because none other than the lanky, brown eyed genius from Pennsylvania is standing in the BAU conference room.

"I take it you've already met Dr. Spencer Reid? He's joining us from the University of Buffalo where he's been teaching applied physics and linguistics." I brush past Hotch to give Spencer a hug.

"So this is what brings you to DC! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried!" he grins. "When you said you were at the BAU I was about to tell you I had been brought in, but you left before I had a chance."

"Hold up, how do you know JJ?" asks Morgan.

"We grew up together!" I reply for him. "We've known each other since we were, what 4? 5?"

"When we met I was 4 years and 247 days old and were 4 years and 129 days old."

I can't help but smirk at he stunned looks on everyone's faces. "He's an actual genius. IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory. Get ready to hate him."

"Wait so does that mean you have all kinds of embarrassing stories about JJ? The stuff she's too prissy to tell us about?" Morgan asks with a devilish grin.

"What? No. And even if he did, he wouldn't tell you. Right?" I throw a glance over my shoulder.

"Of course not. No stories. None," he replies with a lopsided grin.

"Well that's the news. He's officially on, starting today, but Dr. Reid we do need to get some more paperwork filled out, if you'll follow me." Hotch says, clearly wanting us all to get back to our paperwork.

"I guess this solves the problem of you knowing how to get in touch with me," I say, butting my shoulder playfully into his as we walk out of the room. "I mean, what are the chances?"

"Well-" he begins, with a look I remember very well.

"Never mind, I don't actually want to know," I reassure him. I see Hotch waiting ahead. "Hey, I'll catch up with you later, alright?"

He awkwardly waves as he walks towards our boss. "See you Jayje."

I walk back to my office where I find Emily waiting for me. "Okay you have to tell me all about this kid."

I can't help but laugh. "Like what?"

"Like… Eidetic memory? C'mon, that's not real."

"No it is. He remembers everything he's ever read. And can repeat most conversations verbatim. He also probably speaks more languages than you do."

Her face is the picture of offense. "What? He does not!"

"I mean I can't know for sure but by the time we graduated he already knew Spanish, French, and Portuguese. I can only imagine what languages he's picked up in the last 12 years."

"That is insane. No one should be that smart. Is he just like, infuriating to be around?"

I plop down in my chair. "No, he's not too bad. He can be a tad awkward, a little bad at reading social cues, but other than that he's great."

"Did you two ever date?"

I shake my head, giving her a look. "No way. Spence was my best friend. I spent all of my time playing soccer and he spent all of his time… I don't know. Being a genius, I guess." She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. "What?"

"Nothing! It's just… Hmm. Interesting."

"What's interesting?"

She shrugs. "Nothing, I just… I don't know. I mean I moved around a lot as a kid. No one has known me for that long."

"Yeah, well… Like I said, we've been out of touch since we graduated."

She hums quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, it'll be nice to catch up, anyways."

I wiggle my mouse, bringing my screen back to life. "Yeah. It will be."

A few hours later, my stomach began to grumble and I decided to run out for lunch. As I walk across the bull pen, I see Spence sitting at his new desk, arranging large leather bound novels along the edge of his cubicle. I make a detour and come to stand beside him.

"Settling in okay?"

"Yeah!" He spins slightly in his chair.

"Has anyone given you the grand tour?"

"Well, if by grand tour you mean, shown me the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the conference room, then yes."

"And was it grand?"

"Very much so."

"Glad to hear it. Have you had lunch? We could go grab something, catch up?"

He gives me a sheepish look. "Oh man, I definitely would but-"

"-but I already beat you to the punch, Blondie." Morgan puts an arm around my shoulder. "We're going to lunch so I can dig around and uncover all of your deep, dark aren't invited."

I roll my eyes. "And what exactly are you hoping to find? I grew up in the middle of nowhere, I went to school, I played soccer, I went to college, I came here. Little of consequence happened along the way."

"Yeah, yeah, you can keep up the 'All American, Girl-Next-Door' act. There has to be something juicy hidden in your past, and I'm going to find it."

"If you say so, Morgan. We'll catch up later, okay?"

Spence nods. "Of course!"

Almost six hours later, my eyes are burning. I log out of my email, and set my office phone to forward to my cell. Collecting my purse from underneath me desk, I leaned forward to switch off the lamp.

I hear a knock and look up to find Spencer standing in the doorway. "You headed out?"

"Yeah! I think if I fill out one more report my head is going to explode," I joke. "You?"

"Yeah I'm done for the day. Did you want to grab a bite? Catch up?"

"That sounds great!" I switch off the lamp and walked towards him. "What are you in the mood for?" I ask as I lock the door after me.

"Well actually I was thinking-"

"Agent Jareau! Just the person I was looking for." I turn to find Chief Strauss striding towards me. "I was wondering if you had a chance to look over the potential serial arsonist case in Texas?"

"Yes ma'am, I believe I Cc'd you on the findings I sent to Agent Hotchner."

She gives a wry smile. "Excellent. I'm on my way to a meeting with the governor and the lead fire marshal, I wonder if you will accompany me and relay your findings in person?" she asks, but I know it's not a question.

"Of course."

"Excellent." She turns her gaze away from me. "Dr. Reid. How was your first day with the unit?"

"It went well. Everyone was very accommodating."

"Glad to hear it. Shall we?" Her focus is back on me.

I adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder and give Spence a smile. "Not in stars, I guess. To be rescheduled?" I ask him, taking a step towards the Chief.

He gives a half wave before clutching the strap of his messenger bag. "To be rescheduled," he assures me.


	8. Chapter 8

**([Whoops! Sorry everyone, an unedited/unfinished version of the chapter was posted in my haste. Here's the full version!] I am SO SORRY for the delay! I was facing a huge writer's block and then I began my second year of acting conservatory and my whole world has been chaos, haha. But here is Chapter 8, and hopefully I will be posting updates more frequently, both for this story and Forward. Enjoy!)**

Spence and I try, day after day to find a time to catch up but every time something seems to get in the way. It's not until Thursday that we finally catch a break. I'm in my office, filling out yet another report, when Hotch pokes his head into my office.

"Any cases that need to be attended to right away?"

I shake my head, initialing the last page. "No. A few are on standby, waiting for new developments, but as of right now we're good."

"Good, then get out of here."

"I'm sorry?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"We've all been pulling ten, twelve, fourteen hour days. Go home and get some rest, your paper work can wait until the morning."

"Well you don't have to tell me twice." I switch off my computer and set my phone to forward before grabbing my bag to follow him out. "Have any plans for tonight?"

"I figured I might take Hayley and Jack out. Grab some dinner, maybe go see a movie."

"If you want, I can watch Jack so that you guys can have a real date night."

He gives me a grin. "Thank you, but the whole point of sending you home is so that you can get some rest. But another time, definitely." As we come up to the elevator, he begins to pat his jacket pockets. "I must have left my phone in my office, I better go grab it."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" I call to his retreating back as the elevator dings.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you in the morning!"

"Goodnight, Hotch!" I turn back just as the doors slide open. I step inside and press the ground floor button. I descend a few floors before stopping. The doors open to reveal Spence.

"Hey stranger! Headed home?"

"Hi, yeah I am. Agent Hotchner told me that I needed to vacate the building and not return until morning, no excuses."

I laugh. "You can just call him Hotch, y'know. And yeah, that sounds like him, I got the same order."

"Well since we're both being kicked out, would you want to grab something to eat? Finally catch up?"

"That sounds great!" We arrive on the first floor and begin walking to the parking structure. "What are you in the mood for?"

He scratches the back of his head. "Anything really, except for maybe-"

"-Chinese?" I supply.

He gives me a sheepish grin. "Turns out getting three PhDs did nothing for my chopstick abilities."

"Well how about burgers then? There's a great place called Sam's over on Potomac. They have great curly fries."

"Sounds great! I'll follow you there."

Once we're seated in a corner booth with drinks and food ordered, we finally just sit and take each other in, unsure of how to proceed.

"So… We graduated high school, spent a short summer in our tiny town, and then you took off for the West Coast. What happened next?" I finally ask with a grin.

He chuckles before taking a drink of his tea. "Let's see… I went to Caltech. I took a lot of classes. I watched a lot of Doctor Who and Star Trek. I got six degrees-"

"Wait, I'm sorry, six degrees? How is that even possible?"

He just gave me another grin. "I mean… I really liked school. I overloaded every semester, and just kept studying. Of course, once you get core credits out of the way it doesn't take that long, and you would be surprised how much overlap there is between psychology, sociology, and philosophy. It was the PhDs that ended up taking a little bit longer, but I found that once I really threw myself into the courses like linear algebra or multivariable calculus, that I could get all of the work done in a pretty timely manner."

I could only shake my head in disbelief. He really hadn't changed at all since high school. "And what did you do from there?"

"I did a little of a lot, y'know. I did some guest lecturing, I wrote a couple articles for medical journals. I really only had about six months between finishing my last doctorate program and moving to Buffalo."

"I'm sure your mom loved having you close," I venture softly. As if Spence hadn't had a hard enough time being a genius in a rural town, his mom had suffered from schizophrenia since we were very young.

"She really did. I had tried to be in contact with her as much as possible while I was away at school but face to face contact beats even the most thorough of letters."

"I guess I never actually heard, how did she pass?"

"A stroke in her sleep."

"She wasn't in pain, at least."

He nods slowly. "I just wish I would have had more of a chance to say goodbye." He clears his throat and focuses on rearranging his silverware on his napkin. "But what about you? What was Connecticut like?"

I let out a deep exhale. "Loud," I finally joke. "No, I really enjoyed my time there. The other girls on my team were wonderful, I'm still friends with several of them."

"How was playing college soccer?"

"Oh. Amazing. Everything I wanted it to be."

"When we graduated you had been thinking about going to law school."

"Yeah… The more I thought about it, the more I realized that wasn't for me. I switched to English after a semester. Then I considered going into nursing for some strange reason-"

"You? A nurse? You can't even hear someone vomit without getting sick yourself."

"I know, it was short lived, believe me. But I ended up majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. I think the plan was to become a reporter for ESPN after playing professionally."

"How did that go?"

I gave him a smile and flicked my eyes to the ceiling. "I was in connection with a few scouts. In the end, none of it ended up working out. I wasn't offered a contract."

"How did you end up here?"

"Oh it was one of those domino effect things, I guess. When I didn't make it, I panicked because I had been planning on having a few years before I needed to make concrete decisions on my next step. Like you said, I dabbled in several things. I coached a bit. I ended up taking internship with the government, from there I was working with a local FBI office in North Carolina writing press releases. The press liaison position came open and the woman who had served as my mentor in Charlotte recommended me for it and Hotch and I clicked."

"Pure serendipity."

"Exactly."

"What about your family? How is everyone?"

"They're good! Dad is still at the hardware store. My cousin Denton is working under him, he'll probably take it over eventually. Mom keeps busy subbing for the school and volunteering."

"Do you ever talk to Lindsey?"

I let out a snort. "Not much. I was in her wedding. They have two kids now."

"Who did she marry?"

"Jesse Travis, would you believe it? She pined after him for eighteen years, went to college, saw him again the summer before junior year and he was completely smitten."

"What? That's crazy! She spent all of those years completely obsessed and he wouldn't even give her the time of day."

"I know, it's crazy. Anyway her little girl is four and then they just had a little boy. I know this is a perfectly reasonable age to be married with a couple of kids but still feels so weird that she's a mom."

"Well historically it wasn't uncommon to start having children as early as fourteen or fifteen, meaning you could have a teenager already, depending on the time of your first menses."

It was a mark of how close we were growing up that the comment didn't even faze me, and when he realized what he said, only the faintest of blushes came across his cheeks.

"Speaking of, are you seeing anyone? I know you just moved here so you probably haven't had much of a chance to meet people, but anyone that you met in California?"

The smile drops from his face, and he once again fidgets with his utensils. "There was a girl. Her name was Maeve, but she… Well she passed away."

I instinctively grasp his hand. "Oh Spence… I'm so sorry. That's awful."

He takes a deep breath. "Yeah, she… she was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant, she worked as a geneticist, actually."

"She sounds wonderful." The air around us takes on a slightly melancholic feel, until the waitress appears and slides our plates in front of us.

"Well what about you? Anyone special?" he asks with a small smile.

I force out a slightly strained chuckle. "Nope, it's just me. Me and the job."

"Oh come on, there has to be someone. Unless you're still married to soccer?"

"Well, I was dating someone, but something ended up coming between us."

"Was he too involved with his job, or you with yours?"

"His partner actually. Specifically, how involved she was in his bedroom." His eyebrows shoot up and he gives me a grimace.

"I'm so sorry, JJ. That's really rough."

I shrug, trying to downplay it. "It was going to happen one way or another. And I mean, it certainly wasn't fun by any means. But it's done, it's over." We chew in silence for a bit. "So are you fully instated? You have all of your qualifications?"

"...More or less."

I narrow my eyes at him playfully. "What does that mean?"

"I have everything I need other than my firearm qualifications. But, I did really well on everything else! I even broke a few reigning top scores, or so I'm told."

I steal one of his fries having finished my own. "Don't worry about it. Next weekend off Emily and I will take you to the shooting range and get you whipped into shape."

He gives me a less than confident look and I throw back my head and laugh. "Or if worst come to worst, I bet I can get you a waiver."

He grins at me with relief. "You're a life saver, Jayje."

"What else are friends for?"


End file.
